Pours a moderately-dark brown color with a good light tan head. Head is short-lasting, but leaves a touch of lacing and ends in a thin collar. The nose is really nice. From the start, there are notes of brandy and oak, which play really nicely along with the sweet malt. Along with there is some caramel and brown sugar. Good malt character to back up the strong barrel flavors. Brandy notes are nice and mellow without being harsh, even though they're fairly strong. The brandy and oak pick up very well in the flavor with only a smidgeon of booze. Nice and full body with good carbonation. Another big hit.

Nice color, rich dark brown, near black with a light head of tan that comes up and caps the top of the glass nicely. Aroma is dominated by aromas of oak and vanilla, which meld seemlessly into the chocolate notes that become ever more present as time goes on. First sip is wonderful, more carbonated then I typically see with barrel aged beers, with a nicely lively presence and rich, velvet like carbonation. First sip is loaded down with oak notes, hints of bourbon and vanilla start to come out as I dive further into it. Suble at first but then it starts to build. Nice backbone of chocolate coming through as well as a light touch of smoke. Nicely put together I have to admit. Smooth, with the alcohol all but absent from the profile making it for a smooth, sublte, and wonderfully complex nightcap.

Thanks to Sean for sharing this growler. I've had my eye on this one for a while. Served in a Hill Farmstead glass.

A - A finger of tan foam settles to a partial thin cap, thick collar, and a few spots of lace. Initially looks like a stout, but reveals some dark brown coloration under closer scrutiny.

S - Big molasses, brown sugar, caramel, milk chocolate, and some sweet brandy influence. Very sweet stuff, perhaps verging on cloying, but potent and quite enjoyable for the most part.

T- The taste reveals more of the base brown ale, with milk chocolate, nuts, caramel, vanilla, and mild roast character. Not as much of the brandy barrel presence here. I was told this batch is 13%, and it definitely tastes stronger than the 9.5% listed here, but it's still surprisingly smooth.

M - Medium-full body, creamy and smooth texture, lower carbonation, and shockingly well-hidden alcohol if it's really 13% Not much tannic barrel presence - I'm guessing brandy barrels are used a few times before they get sold to breweries.

D - Really enjoyable stuff, and very drinkable for the style and alcohol content. Perhaps a bit too sweet for mass quantities, but would definitely make a nice dessert pairing. Hard to peg the style - somewhere between Imperial Brown and Imperial Stout.

Shared by Brad at a tasting in May, after which I shared a growler with Jim in Vermont. This brown ale was aged in a brandy barrel for 5 months, giving (I think) a great brandy character.

It pours a translucent brownish red, with a thin ring of foam. Brandy and brown sugar in the aroma, mainly this is a barrel aged malt bomb, somthing Brad excels at.

Very nice flavor, this grew on me even more as we polished off a growler later. Very sweet but not cloyingly sweet, with toffee/caramel and lightly roasted malts, brandy sweetness throughout. Excellent, never overbearing, delicious.

Medium bodied, maybe just a little heavier than normal, extremely tasty and poundable.

S - An excellent mix of burnt sugars, brandy, and oak. Just as I thought it was smell like...an amped up Brown Ale. The Brandy barrels really add a nice "oomph" and help balance out the sweetness.

T - Similar to the nose. Lots of burnt sugars, brandy, and oak. There's a touch of vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar in there as well. The alcohol is very well-hidden and the barrel notes really add to this beer. The finish is gram cracker and booze, yum.

M - Medium, good carbonation, creamy rich finish.

O - This one lived up to the hype for me and I'm so glad I was able to try it. I was told it will be a while for this to show up at Jackie O's again, so I feel very fortunate. Recommend.

Looks a lot like Dark Apparition, this is a dark "brown" ale. Served with no head... not too surprising coming from a barrel-aged beer. However a bit of swirling reveals a gritty texture and rouses a short cap of foam.

The aroma was a little more weak than I was hoping. I don't have a ton of experience with brandy barrels though. The liquor isn't overly apparent, and the base beer produces some muted barley and ash notes.

Things begin picking up with the taste. Bolero starts off with a dense maltiness which is rich and roasty. Then the brandy grows with sweet alcohol and oak flavors. Mid palate the beer reveals a thinner American Brown Ale set of flavors - mild nuttiness and mellow malts. This beer can be summed up well with two words: woody and malty.

The mouthfeel is dry with a long and deep finish which is full of blackened malt and char. Very very nice. You're tasting the texture and flavor of the inside of that brandy barrel - a really dark char, which I enjoyed immensely.

Overall a very pleasing beer. I would be happy to see this around more often.

AppearanceThe beer is essentially a deep color of purple with lots of reds and browns. There is a thin, wispy head on top.

AromaCreamy vanilla and oak mix with milk chocolate. Red grapes are strong and bring in the vinous, red wine/brandy aromas. The creamy, chocolate and vanilla notes stay separate but equal to the fruity brandy notes. Its really a bit of a yin and yang type aroma, but it works really well.

TasteThe beer starts out full force with brandy flavor. Lots of red and purple grapes, oak and tangy fruits. At about the half way point the deep, rich, creamy malts some in. Lots of vanilla sees things to the end. The finish is loaded with vanilla, brandy and oak. Very complex and very interesting.

MouthfeelThe body is on the lower side of full. Carbonation is sharp.

OverallOne of my favorites from the weekend. This is similar to the Brandy Dark Apparition. I love what the brandy barrels do for these malt bomb beers.

Pours a very pretty orwngish brown. A nice touch of white head. Incredible oak barrel on the tongue. Tastes sweet and thick and malty. Tons of flavour. This beer is top notch. Thick solid moithfeel well carbonated. Very nice overall. Definitely a very solid Barrel profile